Accenting attachment for music-playing devices.



W. J. KEELEY. AGOENTING ATTACHMENT FOR MUS IC PLAYING DEVICES.APPLICATION FILED 11.30, 1910.

1,107,80 1 Patented Aug. 18, 1914 Me /m 9mm THE NORRIS PETERS 00..PnarO-Ll'rua. WASHINGTON. 0. 6.

WILLIAM J. KEELEY, 01* NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACCENTING ATTACHMENT FDR MUSICJPLAYING DEVICES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KEELEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Acoenting Attachment for Music PlayingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a music playing device, and the principalobject thereof is to provide means whereby the operator may accent orbring out any melody note or series of notes in a musical compositionwhile the accompanying and foundation tones are sub dued.

The invention may be applied to all kinds of automatic music playinginstruments, including the so-called cabinet piano players of variousmakes and constructions.

In accomplishing the object of the invention the perforated music-sheetsare provided with marks to designate the melody notes, or to indicatewhen the accenting device is to be operated.

The means which I have provided for accomplishing the desired result inconnection with the marked music-sheets consists of an adjustable baradapted to subdue the accompanying and foundation tones, and havingmeans for permitting the melody notes to be sounded with full power.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings which illustratecertain embodiments of the invention as applied to two different kindsof musical instruments.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a part of one form of anautomatic piano with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similarsectional view of a piano player also provided with my invention, andFig. 3 is a perspective view of the mechanism employed in Fig. 1, theordinary parts of the piano being removed to show the interiorconstruction, and also illustrating a form of music sheet which can beemployed.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that located adjacent to thehammers a in such position as to be engaged by the shanks a is a bar I).This bar is preferably covered with a layer of felt b or similar softmaterial on the face against which the shanks of the hammers strike.This prevents the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30, 191i).

Patented A11"; 18, 1914.

Serial No. 552,407.

hammers from clicking or making a noise when they engage the bar Z).This bar is shown in Fig. 3 as mounted in guides 0 so as to slidelongitudinally into properposition to be engaged by the desired shanksa. It is also provided with one or m-ore'slots 6 When applied to a pianosuch as shown in Fig. 1, these slots will be vertically arranged in thefront face of the bar, and are designed to permit any hammer shank whichmay be selected to deliver its blow with full force without engaging thefelt, the others ofthat: octave striking the soft surface to-producesubdued tones.

In order that the bar may be adjusted it is shown as provided with a roddconnected with an arm 6 mounted on an oscillating. shaft f. Another armg on this shaft serves 70. to turn it and this arm is connected by a.link 7: with an operating lever is. This operating lever has a handleit, and is'connected with a pointer m which is adapted to: move over aportion of the music sheet 0.

When so constructed that the bar Z) has only one slot o in order thatthe 'device may have full range, it will be necessary to make it asshort as possible and move it; nearly the full length of the instrumentso that the slot may be adjusted in sue'h'position as to receive anyoneof the hammer shanks a". In this case the pointer m is also designed tomove the whole length of; the music-sheet, so that it may be brought toany desired note. This is done if the notes are marked individually byasterisks, stars, or the like, which is one Way in which the inventionmay be carriedout. However, .3, if desired, the notes on the music sheetmay be indicated at one side thereof by a'line, a series of dots, orother marks, and in that case the pointer on will move only far enoughto cover the marks indicating all the notes.

in the form which I have illustrated, I have shown the bar as providedwith a plurality of slots 6 each one corresponding to an octave. a fifthor a third; in the present instance, to an octave. In this case it is?necessary to move the bar only the space 00- cupied by an octave, andthe pointer m moves a corresponding distance on the music sheets oracross the indications at'the edge thereof. In the use of the device,(the.

music sheet being marked to indicate the accentcd melody notes in eitherone of the Ways indicated above), the pointer is operatcd by handthrough the handle la to bring it successively to the marked positions.This moves the bar (l through the instrumcntality of the links and armsdescribed, or in any other desired way, so that for each octave, theslot 71" is in position to receive the hammer-shank corresponding to thenote in dicated by the pointer m. It will be understood, of course, thatthis bar should be operated longitudinally only when the hammers are allback in their normal positions, because if any one of them is forward inone of the slots b it 'vvoiii'ld prevent operation of the bar.

Of course the pointer m, may move across the music-sheet at any pointthereof, but it may conveniently do :so as the sheet travels over thetracker board.

VV'hen tlh e bar Z9 is not in use, it can be disposed ol in any desired"Way in accordance wi tlh the oonstri-iction of the instrument on whichit is placed. A most mnvenient way her most instruments is to allow itto drop down to clear the hammer-shanks of the piano action. If desired,when the device is constructed with :a plurality of slots W, as shown,thene can be a plurality of pointers so distanced as to indicateoctaves.

In 2 I have shown how the device may be applied to :so called cabinetpiano players by placing it under the fingers p which strike the keys ofthe piano. This construction comes within the scope of invention.

While I have illustrated and described two particular applications of myinvention, and one form in which I at present prefer to embody it, I amaware that many ii-uodifications may be made therein, and th at whenapplied to different m'aikes of musical 1 instruments, certainmodifications will be necessary, all of which coune Witl'iin the scopeof the skill of any person slcil'led in this art, and also within thescope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Wlrat I claim is 1. A music playing device having a movhhe blows fromthe hair-miner shanks as they of the blovvs imparted to the strings, the

bar being provided with a slot for neceiv- 7 mg a hammer shank, whenebvof the strings may be stnuck with full force.

2. A music playing device having a msov- 1 :able :bar provided withmeans to lessen the power of the blows imparted to the stringsrepresenting an octave, the bar being provial-ed With a slot forreceiving .a hammer shank zfor sounding the melody note, whene- 1 by themelody note of that octave may be:

sounded with full force While the accom panying and foundation tones aresubdued by said bar.

3. A music playing device having hammers, and adjusting means forengaging a plurality of hammer-slmnks as they move toward the stringsand subduing the accompanying and foundation tones, and having meansfixed relatively to said adjusting i-neans for preventing a melody notefrom being subdued.

t. In music playing device, the combination with hammers and strings, ofa bar having a soft surface in position to be engaged by the ha'nnnersas they approach the strings for subduing certain tones of a section,the hammer engaging surface of said bar extending throughout the lengthoccupied by all the hammers but one of a section, whereby one hammer canstri-ke with full force the string for producing the melody note.

5. In music playing device, the combination of the hammers, a slidingbar movable between the hainn'iers and strings in position to engage theshanlrs of the hammers and lessen the blows delivered by them, said barhaving slots to permit certain of the hammer shanks to deliver a blow offull liorce.

6. a music playing dcviceythe combination with the hammers and strings,of a sliding ba r movable between the hammers and strings in position toengage the sh'an'ks of the hammers and lessen the b lovvs deliveredthem, and having slots arranged at regular distances apart so as toregister With corresponding hammers of each section.

7. In a music playing device, the combination With the hammers andstrings, of a sliding in position to en age the shan ks of the hammersand lessen the blows delivered by them, said bar having a plurality ofslots arranged at regular distances apart so as to register Withcorresponding hammers el-each section, guides for said bar, a pointerrnovable over the musicsheet, and means for simultaneously moving thepointer and bar.

8. Ina music playing device, the combination of the hammers, a slidingbar movable between the hammers and strings in position to engage theshanks of the hammers and able bar provided with means for receivinglessen the o'lovvs delivered by them, said bar having slots to permitcertain of the hammer move toward the strings to lessen power shaniks todeliver a blovv of full Sfiorce, a pointer movable over the music sheet,and means for simultaneously moving the bar and pointer equivalentdistances.

9. In a music playing device, the combination of a sliding bar having aseries of slots,

1 :a pointer adapted to move over a music sheet, means forsimultaneously moving the bar and pointer, and :a *music sheett havingmarks representing melody notes located in the path of said pointer.

10. In :a music playing device, the combi- In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand, in the presence of tWo subscribing 10 witnesses.

nation of the hammers, movable means for engaging the shanks of thehammers to lessen the blows delivered by them, said means having slotsto permit certain of the hammer shanks to deliver a blow of full force,a pointer movable over the music sheet, and means for simultanouslymoving said means and pointer equivalent distances. 1

WM. J. KEELEY.

lVitnesses \VILLIAM J. BARTEN, FRANK PTOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G."

